DARE Scheme supports students with disabilities to access and achieve in 3rd level
DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) is an admissions scheme for school leavers whose disabilities in a broad range of categories have had a negative impact on their second level education. The term ‘disability’ can be off-putting for students and parents with some people reluctant to apply for the DARE scheme, feeling that it might come against them in some way. That is of course understandable but I cannot stress enough how beneficial the supports offered to students are in the journey into and through 3rd level education. Thousands of students have applied for the scheme since its inception and have successfully navigated their way through college achieving academic, personal, social and career success by receiving the required supports from access staff in the various colleges. The recent RTÉ series ‘My Uni Life’ demonstrated just how accessible higher education can be for students with defined difficulties and disabilities once the appropriate supports are provided prior to entry and throughout the college journey. The DARE scheme is open to school leavers with a disability under the age of 23 as of the 1st of January 2021. Mature students and those applying from Further Education and Training (FET) courses have different admissions routes which can be explored on the college websites.
Categories
If you are unsure about whether you may be eligible or not it is advisable to check out the specific screening criteria for the categories of disability on www.accesscollege.ie which are as follows – Autistic Spectrum Disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD & ADHD), Blind/Vision Impaired, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, DCD – Dyspraxia, Mental Health Condition, Neurological Condition, Speech & Language Communications Disorder, Significant Ongoing Illness, Physical Disability, Specific Learning Difficulty.
Deadlines & Application Process
The first step is to apply to the CAO which is now open online by the 1st of February 2021. Dare applicants must fill in the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) Section A which looks for information on your disability, the support you received in second level and how the disability impacted on your education. This must be completed by the 1st of March. Question 1 asks you if you wish to be considered for DARE to which you must answer YES and click the Submit Button. You will also be required to add in a brief personal statement about your experience of being in school and the challenges you faced. The purpose of this is to help the college to determine what supports you need in college. Section B is the Educational Impact Statement (EIS) and must be completed by your school. Section C is the Evidence of Disability and it must be completed by the appropriate medical professional only if you do not have a report verifying your disability that meets the DARE criteria. The forms for sections B & C can be downloaded from www.accesscollege.ie or www.cao.ie and you must send them to reach CAO by the 15th of March. All deadlines are strict and non-negotiable so make sure you meet them well in advance of the actual dates to avoid unnecessary stress.
Benefits
Eligible students may be offered a place on courses even if you don’t have the required points but still need to meet minimum entry requirements and specific course requirements. Priority is given to students who are eligible for both HEAR and DARE. Once registered on a course as a DARE student the supports may include the following – orientation programmes, learning support, assistive technology, library support, exam accommodations, educational support worker and academic tuition. The provision of such supports seeks to level the playing pitch for entry to and access through higher education by widening opportunities for students who have a significant challenge in terms of their participation, experience and learning in secondary school.
Application Information Events take place on DARE every year to provide students and/or parents/guardians with the opportunity to meet online with a member of the DARE team to discuss the application process and this year the national event will take place on Saturday the 9th of January from 10am-2pm. For further details on information events and on the DARE scheme itself as well as contact details DARE support staff in the various colleges and see www.accesscollege.ie